


Locked in a Room

by craterdweller



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Episode Tag, Episode: s08e07 Affinity, F/M, Mind Meld, Telepathic Bond, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 10:10:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14078604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/craterdweller/pseuds/craterdweller
Summary: Jack and Sam are trapped by an Ancient device that gives them the ability to hear each others thoughts. Set shorty after S08e07 Affinity.





	Locked in a Room

General Jack O’Neill sighed as he added another folder to the completed pile. Despite having spent the last two hours working on the tower of requisitions, transfer requests, and mission reports, his inbox was still depressingly full. Sgt. Walter Harriman hovered in the open doorway, a medium sized handful of folders clutched in his left hand.

“Sir …”

The sound of the base alarm interrupted the sergeant, and the two men hurried to the control room. Jack watched through the window as the fourth chevron locked and the Stargate spun to the next symbol.

Walter slid into his customary seat as the technician on duty moved aside. “Receiving a transmission from P5C-963. I have Colonel Carter.” His fingers danced over the keyboard as he established the video link with SG-1.

“Problem, Colonel?” Jack tensed as he mentally ran through the list of available teams. SG-3 was on stand-down because Major Eisler’s wife had just given birth to their first child. SG-13 was scheduled to go off-world tomorrow but were available if necessary.

Colonel Samantha Carter smiled on camera. “No problems, sir, but we’ve run into a snag while examining a piece of Ancient technology. Daniel said he needs someone with the Ancient gene to initiate it.”

Jack let go of the breath he’d been holding. Irritation replaced his relief. “And this necessitated an early check-in?”

Her grin disappeared. Clearly, she had expected him to jump at the chance to get out from behind the desk. But Jack wasn’t in the mood to take her crumbs. Not after their discussion in her lab yesterday. He only half-listened as she babbled about their findings before cutting her off.

“Colonel!”

“Sorry, sir. I can fill you in on the rest when you get here.” She was grinning again, apparently amused at herself, or maybe him.

Jack ground his back molars. He’d never been a stickler for protocol, but perhaps he had been too lax. Apparently, she expected him to drop everything and come running. He reached over and muted the microphone. “Walter, who’s up next on the roster for light switch duty?”

Walter scrambled to pull up the information on the adjacent screen, surprised by the request. “Uh, Lieutenant Collins, sir.”

Collins was one of the new scientists. “Has she been certified for gate travel?”

“Uh, no, sir.”Anticipating the next question, Walter supplied, “the only person with the ATA gene that’s been cleared for gate travel is Major Eisler. Shall I recall him, sir?”

“No. The major should be with his wife and daughter. Have Colonel Reynolds report to my office.” He flipped the microphone back on. “Send the coordinates of the ruins. I’ll meet up with SG-1 tomorrow during the appointed check-in time.”

“But …”

He tuned out her technobabble as she tried to wheedle him into pushing up the schedule, growing annoyed at her presumptuousness.

“You have your orders, Colonel. Now, if it is alright with you, I have a base to run.”

❖

Jack adjusted his pack and snapped on his sunglasses. Usually, he would be excited at the rare chance to go off-world, but as he watched his former second-in-command approach wearing a huge grin, he felt his dark mood from yesterday return. She was over him. It was time for him to do the same. Maybe he would call George when he got back. Ask if that position in D.C. was still open.

“Good to see you, sir.”

“Carter, it has only been three days.”

Her smile faltered. “Uh, right. So the ruins are over here.” She hesitated before turning to lead him to the others.

 _Easy O’Neill._ _Keep it professional, but you don’t have to snap her head off. She has the right to be happy._

Using his longer stride, he caught up to her and tapped her on the upper arm. “Sorry Carter. Guess I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

His heart skipped when she smiled back at him. _No this is no good. I need space. She picked him._

“Sir?”

 _Great. Now she thinks you’ve gone senile._

“Let’s just get this over with, Colonel. I have a mountain of paperwork waiting for me.”

“Yes, sir.” She ignored the concerned looks from Daniel and Teal’c and moved briskly to the Ancient artifact.

“Happy to see you too, Jack.” Daniel stood and made to stand next to Sam, only to be stopped by Teal’c.

“Perhaps it would be better to let Colonel Carter and O’Neill work this out without interference.”

“He’s being an ass.”

“Indeed. However, there may be more to O’Neill’s dark mood than we know.”

Daniel scowled but sat back down on the log.

On Jack’s approach, a slender cylinder rose from the ground. A control panel of sorts flashed green, then yellow, before turning a solid red.

“That’s odd.”

A bolt of energy shot out from the pillar striking Jack square in the chest.

“Sir!” Sam dropped her tools and rushed to her fallen commander. She heard Daniel and Teal’c shout a warning just as solid walls rose from the ground.

❖

Solid walls and no exit. She dropped to her knees and checked Jack for a pulse. Steady, if slightly thready _._ She gently shook his shoulder. “Sir? Can you hear me?”

Receiving no response, she started a visual inspection of what her eyes had already discerned. They were trapped in a room with no doors or windows. She keyed the mic on her radio. “Daniel. Teal’c. Come in please.”

Nothing. Not even static. She leaned across and tried the general’s radio. Nothing. _Great. Talk about your proverbial locked room._ She slid down to a seated position, resting her back against the plain white wall. _At least it’s not dark._

A few minutes later, Jack woke with a groan.

“Sir! Are you alright?”

“Peachy, Colonel.”

She flinched at his formal address. _And the day gets better. Locked in a room with a grumpy general._

“I was shot by a bolt of energy. So sorry that my mood inconveniences you.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

She took a deep breath and mentally counted to five.

“Relax, Colonel. I’m sure Daniel and Teal’c will figure out a way to get us out of here, and you’ll be home in time for dinner.” _With the shrub._

“General!”

“What?”

She shook her head and moved to the far corner of the room. _What is his problem?_

_You’re my problem._

_“_ Sir? _”_

 _“_ You said that already, Carter. Try a different tune. _”_

“Sir, Have I done something to upset you?”

_Want me to make a list?_

Sam opened her mouth but then changed her mind. The general was already pissed. No need for her to fan the flames. _Okay. So I’m locked in a room with a pissed off commanding officer. There are no doors, windows or discernible exits. Our packs with the food, water, and tools are on the other side of the barricade. Neither radio works, but I’m sure Daniel and Teal’c will have gone for help or are working on getting us out._ She sighed as she slid down the wall. _We’re screwed._

“Screwed is a little strong of a word, isn’t it Colonel?”

“I didn’t say anything, sir!”

“You did. After your little rant about being stuck in here with me.”

Sam was positive she hadn’t uttered a sound. She got an idea. _Sir, what am I thinking?_

 _“_ How the hell should I know what goes on in that big brain of your’s?” _She’s probably thinking about her detective._

“What? I am not!”

“Am not, what?”

“I am not thinking about Pete! Why do you keep saying that?”

“I didn’t.” _If it were up to me, I’d like to erase the shrub from memory._

 _“_ You did!”

 _“_ Didn’t. _”_

 _“_ Did. _”_

 _“_ Didn’t. Dammit, Colonel. I’m not so senile as to forget what I said a few minutes ago. _”_ He staggered as he tried to stand. Sam was at his side instantly to steady him. He tried to shrug her off, but she tightened her grip.

“Sir, I think you should sit down. You took quite a hit from that energy bolt.”

He grimaced and rubbed his chest. “Don’t remind me.”

“Maybe I should take a look.”

He batted her hands away as they fumbled with his buttons. “I’m fine, Colonel.”

_Stubborn idiot._

_“_ That would be stubborn idiot, sir. _”_

 _“_ That’s it! _”_

 _“_ Right. You don’t have to rub it in. _”_

 _“_ No. Not that. I think that device is responsible.”

“For the prison? Yes, I gathered that Colonel.”

“No. I mean, yes, but I think it is somehow allowing us to be able to hear each other’s thoughts.”

“What?”

“I think the device causes telepathy. Daniel was still working on the translation, so it is only a theory.”

“But the bolt only hit me. Wouldn’t it have had to hit us both? And why would they Ancients want such a thing?”

Sam shrugged. “Maybe there was still some residual energy when I touched you. As for the purpose—Daniel was able to translate part of the writings. Something about a neutral ground to resolve disputes. If both sides could hear the other’s thoughts, they wouldn’t be able to lie.”

“Okay, so how does that help us get out of here?”

“Maybe we need to work out our issues, and the door will appear.”

“Issues? What issues?”

Sam snorted.

❖

“So let me get this straight—Jack and Colonel Carter are trapped in a room with no doors or windows?”

Daniel grimaced. “Yeah.”

“And you can’t raise either of them on the comm channels?”

“Right.”

“What about the control panel? You said a pillar rose from the ground when Jack approached and then zapped him. Any chance they are unconscious or injured?”

“Jack was definitely down. He wasn’t moving. From our vantage point, we couldn’t tell if Sam had been struck or not.”

“She appeared to be kneeling over O’Neill.”

“Right. But she may have fallen unconscious after the walls came up.” Reynolds said something to someone off microphone. “That’s not good.”

“What?”

“Dr. Lee just handed me the estimates of their oxygen supply based on the measurements you sent. We need to get them out of there. According to the calculations, they may only have a few hours of air left. I’m sending Dr. Lee and a team of our best civil engineers.”

“Okay. I’ll see if I can make any more headway with the translation. There must be something on the slabs we first discovered.”

“Alright. Next check-in at 22:00 Zulu. Reynolds out.”

The event horizon dissipated; the outer rings started spinning immediately.

“That will be Bill and the engineers.”

“You do not look confident Daniel Jackson.”

“I just wish Sam were here. Bill does his best but …”

“He is not Colonel Carter.”

Daniel pursed his lips as he considered his next question. “Did Jack seem, off, to you?”

“In what way?”

“Well, Sam and I thought he’d be, I dunno, happy to have a chance to go off-world. But he seemed—and the way he snapped at Sam?”

“Do not blame yourself. You could not have foreseen these events.”

“Maybe. But what about the thing with Sam?”

“I believe that is a matter they would prefer to keep to themselves.”

“You know something!”

“Detective Shanahan has asked for Colonel Carter’s hand in marriage.”

“Oh boy.”

❖

Sam stared at the back of her commanding officer as he slept. After she had realized they could hear each other’s thoughts, the general had retreated to the furthest corner and thrown up his mental walls. Neither had spoken in over four hours.His last words had been to order her to stop thinking. She had mentally sent a most insubordinate reply involving his anatomical parts that she had no business thinking about, especially after saying yes to Pete.

When he grunted and rolled onto his back, Sam risked approaching him. He hadn’t let her examine him after the bolt from the device struck him, but even from across the room she could see the bloodstain on his collar. He’d hit his head hard enough to draw blood. She gingerly touched the stain. A little sticky, but mostly dry, meaning the cut wasn’t too deep. Still, it did not rule out a concussion. She watched his eyes move rapidly behind closed eyelids. He was falling into REM sleep. She set the alarm on her watch for one hour and leaned against the wall beside him. Time to try one of the meditations she learned from Teal’c.

Images of herself, smiling, laughing, tired, dirty, angry, flashed through her mind. She blinked. The images slowed. She was on the other side of the force field, begging Jack to leave her. Then they were in the SGC, and she was telling Jack they could leave it in the room.

“No.” Jack stirred but did not wake.

More images. These more recent. She’s humming in the elevator. She’s dressed for a date, with a smile on her face. She’s showing him the ring.

“No!”

She sees the hallway outside her lab. But the perspective is wrong. An airman passes and offers a greeting. “General.”

Sam shakes her head.

Now she’s in the general’s office, and he is slamming the drawers of his desk. He’s looking for something. It’s his resignation letter. He drops it on the surface and slumps into the chair. _Damn regulations. ‘What if things were different?’ How the hell could she ask me that?_ He stares at the page; his pen hovers over the space where his signature needs to go before he throws the pen down. _No. She deserves to be happy. He makes her happy. Not like I ever could. What could a loser like me offer someone like her?_ _She’s made her choice. Time to man up O’Neill. If you love someone, set them free._ He tossed the unsigned letter back into his bottom drawer and locked it.

“NO!”

“Carter? What’s wrong?”

Sam opened her eyes to find a familiar set of brown ones looking at her with concern. And for a split second, love. His hands were resting lightly on her shoulders. She must have dozed off, and he was trying to wake her. But wait, he was the one with the concussion. _Did that mean she had imagined the whole thing?_

His eyes turned hard. “Stay out of my head, Colonel.” He stood quickly and moved to the other side of the room.

She blinked. _So those were his thoughts?_ She didn’t need her new telepathic ability to tell he was angry. She needed to tread carefully, or their friendship would be irrevocably damaged. “Jack.”

He spun and opened his mouth to dress her down, but then closed it as she dropped all her walls and sent him her thoughts. _I didn’t know you still felt that way about me._ She sent him images from her time alone on the Prometheus.

“But, I wasn’t on the Prometheus with you. I wish I had been.”

Sam closed the gap and wrapped her arms around his waist. She mentally replayed their conversation in her office, tightening her hold when he tried to pull away. “I wanted you to tell me not to give up on us.”

“Sam, I would never get in the way of your happiness. And you’re happy with Pete.” He pushed her away, gently but firmly. “He can give you all the things that I …” She saw an image of Charlie smiling, then Sara crying and alone. “It’s against the regs.”

Sam steeled herself. This was it. She sent images of Antartica. Her desperate pleas for him not to die. She followed with the months of isolation while she was denied even the chance to visit his stasis chamber by politicians squabbling over inconsequential rules of protocol. Memories of blackmailing Weir into allowing her to take the modified Teltak to ask the Asgard for help. The sheer joy of finding him alive and that he’d been the one to save her from Fifth. “I didn’t give up on us Jack until you pushed me away.”

She sent mental pictures from after their promotions. Times he had turned down invitations to team nights or even lunch. Daily encounters that used to be filled with laughter and warmth, replaced by cold formality and forced levity.

His brown eyes widened as comprehension dawned. “I’m sorry, Sam. I …”

“Shhh. Jack.” She touched a finger to his lips. “We’ve both made mistakes. But it’s not too late.”

“Carter, the regs aren’t going to change.”

“No. But, well we can either wait a little longer or figure something out.”

“But, what about Pete?”

“Pete is a nice man, but he is not the one I’m in love with—the one I’ve been in love with for years. I’ll break things off when we get home.”

“Yeah, about that.”

“What?”

They heard voices from outside. Along with some heavy drilling equipment. The walls of the room became semi-transparent before vanishing.

“Jack!”

“Daniel. Teal’c. Guys.”

“What happened?”

“Are you both uninjured?”

Jack held up a hand. “A little bruised, but otherwise we’re fine. Save it for the debriefing. I don’t want to have repeat myself.”

The two recently freed officers headed towards the Stargate. If anyone thought it strange that Colonel Carter had her arm wrapped around the General’s waste, no one commented.

❖

Two days later, Sam studied Daniel’s notes from P5C-963. As she had surmised, the device was designed to help mediate disputes by making each party aware of the other’s thoughts. In theory, making it impossible to lie. The Ancients had abandoned the device after violent altercations erupted during its initial trials. She smiled as she recalled Jack’s grumbling about the Ancients needing to be more careful where they left their toys.

“Hey, kiddo.” Her father knocked lightly on the doorframe to her lab. Dressed in his usual Tok’ra garb meant he must have been recalled early from his vacation with Mark and the kids.

“Dad!” She hugged him warmly. “Duty calls?”

Jacob fidgeted with the belt on his tunic. “Mark was driving Selmak and me crazy. He wouldn’t shut up about you and his friend Pete?”

“What did he say?”

“Something about you breaking his heart. I don’t know. I tuned him out after the third rant. What happened?”

“Dad.” She warned.

Jacob held up his hands. “It’s your life, honey. I only want you to be happy.”

“I am happy.”

Jacob looked at her skeptically then furrowed his brow. His head dipped indicating Selmak was now in control of their shared body.

“Selmak.”

“Samantha. Do not mind Jacob. He likes to meddle where he is not wanted.”

Sam smiled. “I know he means well. He doesn’t have to hide.”

“I asked Jacob if I might speak with you. He promised me he would not interrupt.”

Sam put down the scanner giving her father’s symbiote her full attention; apprehension tinged her curiosity.

“I would like to offer my advice, from one who has been blended with many hosts. Do not push where you are not welcome.”

“Excuse me?”

“I know the telepathic link between yourself and General O’Neill has not been broken.”

Sam’s eyes darted between the open door and the surveillance camera. “I don’t …”

“Do not bother to deny it, Samantha. One look at General O’Neill told me all I needed to know. He is exhausted.”

Sam felt her anger bubbling to the service. “Selmak,” she warned.

“He is a very private man, his resistance to blending is well documented among my people. You will lose his trust if you persist in battering against his mental shields.”

“You have no idea what you are talking about. Dr. Brightman has cleared the General and I. I think you should leave now.”

Her father’s head dipped, signifying Jacob was once again in control. “Sammy, she is only trying to help.”

“You just can’t help yourself, can you? Always butting in. I don’t hear from you for months, and then you want to tell me how to live my life.” She slammed the drawer to the cabinet and turned away.

“Sam …”

“Just leave me alone, Dad.”

She remained facing away until she was certain he left. _What the hell was wrong with her family. Couldn’t they leave well enough alone?_

_You okay?_

_I’m FINE!_ She bristled at Jack’s projected thought. _What? Are you going to start now too? Were you listening the whole time?_

_NO! Not until you started mentally shouting a minute ago. My office door is always open if you want to talk._

She felt him withdraw and she relaxed. He hadn’t pushed. In fact, throughout this whole thing, he had never pushed but had waited for her to _broadcast_ something to him. She sighed. She hadn’t been so noble. Selmak’s guess had been on the mark. She had been downright relentless; her insecurities were driving her pursuit of his feelings. _But didn’t he deserve his privacy?_ She played things close to the vest herself; one of the many things they had in common.

 _I need to make things right. First, with my Dad and Selmak before they leave. Then with Jack._

Sam hurried to the gate room.

❖

The third chevron had just locked. Jack was standing next to her father and looking up at the control room. “Walter, page Colonel Carter.”

“Not necessary. I’m here, sir.”

He smiled in greeting, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He shook hands with the elder Carter. “Jake, always a pleasure. You know you two don’t need a reason.”

Jacob chuckled and slapped Jack on the shoulder. “Take care, Jack. We’ll see ya soon.” He wrapped his daughter in a hug.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered in his ear. “Tell Selmak she was right and thank her for me.”

Jacob tightened his arms. “Take care of yourself, Sammy. And take care of Jack too.”

She stood next to Jack as the final chevron locked. They watched as her father disappeared into the wormhole. She touched Jack’s arm as he turned towards the exit.

_I’m sorry._

_For what?_

_For a lot of things. But we can talk about it later. “_ Dr. Brightman has cleared us to leave the base. If you don’t mind sir, I’d like to head home?” She smiled warmly at him.

He returned the smile, relieved. “SG-1 is scheduled for a few days of downtime, Colonel. So go. Enjoy.”

“What about you, sir? You look like you could use a little time off yourself.”

He bumped her shoulder lightly as they exited the gate room. “Colonel Reynolds is due back tomorrow. Maybe I will.”

They ran into Daniel as they entered the hallway.

“Jack, Sam. Glad I caught you. Now that the doctor has cleared everyone, Teal’c and I are headed to O’Malley’s. You should come with.”

“Sounds good,” Sam said as she linked arms with Daniel.

“Jack? You coming?”

When Jack hesitated, Sam resisted the urge to reach out to him telepathically. She needed to prove he could trust her. Prove she wouldn’t be trying to get into his head at every opportunity. She kept her mind blank but her expression hopeful.

Jack shot her a brief look before responding. “I thought we were still banned from O’Malleys?”

“Nope. You can thank Sam for that.”

“Colonel Carter convinced the proprietor it would be in his best interest to lift the banishment.”

“Teal’c! You make it sound like I threatened him.”

“I was merely admiring your persuasive abilities, Colonel Carter. I meant no offense.”

The corner of the Jaffa’s mouth twitched. Teal’c was getting sneaky with his humor. Sam fell back into step with Jack. She whispered, “Sir, I can make an excuse.”

He slowed, creating distance from the others, but responded telepathically. _What? Why?_

She followed suit, continuing their silent conversation. _I’ve been horrible! You’re exhausted, and I make you uncomfortable._

Jack sighed. _We’ll get through this Carter. We can lock it back in the room if you’d like._

 _No! Please. No more rooms._ She caught up with the others. _“_ Guys, I just remembered. I promised Cassie we’d have a girl’s weekend. Chick flicks and shopping.”

_Sam?_

“Sam?”

She sent Daniel a pleading look, but he didn’t get it. Fortunately, Teal’c did.

“Give our regards to Cassandra Fraiser. Come, O’Neill. I need nourishment.”

She nudged Jack towards their waiting friends. _We’ll talk. I promise. Now go. Have a night out with the guys._

_Bossy._

She giggled as she watched her three favorite men enter the elevator arguing over what to do after O’Malley’s. _No matter what happens with Jack, breaking things off with Pete was the right decision._ She headed back to her lab, humming softly.

**Author's Note:**

> Trope Bingo Prompt: Telepathy/Mind Meld


End file.
